Always ethereal, always eclectic, I write as the mood strikes, when there intrigue reveals itself. Usually that means something controversial or adventure of some sort.

I've tried really hard to be unprovocative, but have as yet been unsuccessful.

Monday, 13 February 2006

My Classical Phase

I started my Fousha class- classical Arabic- this past week, after a hiatus of some 10 years. We're meeting Friday nights. It's kind of cool, because I wanted to start learning Fousha rather than Dareeja, the local Arabic, and suddenly, one after the other expats have joined up, so there are now 5 of us. But Fousha is just so beautiful! I mean, I like Dareeja, but there is something to be said of the Muslim attitude that Fousha is God's language. Here's the difference between

the Dareeja:yabunali fisemabghina taqodas smitik

and the Fousha:abennalethi fisemowatili etoqodas ismaki

(and the English:Our Father,Who is in Heaven,Holy is your Name)

I don't know if you can hear it (you kind of have to read it out loud to hear the difference distinctly), but in Fousha, there is just this certain poetry to the language that never dies. I like the Arab people, and the culture, but I think the language is way phat as well. And it just makes so much more sence than the pidgin of Dareeja, borrowed from 3 different languages. Everything in Fousha Arabic is trilateral root-based. Once you memorize the 26 basic forms, it is all logical, with the normal variants. I'm really looking forward to the class.